A year in reverse

It's been quite an interesting and eventful year.

I almost never post blogs about the events of my life because I use it more as an outlet for deeper thoughts and epiphanies, but today I feel compelled to reflect on how much things have changed.

Since last March, I've had the privilege of learning more about worship, songwriting, mentoring, and serving. I've been given multiple opportunities to further explore how to incorporate faith and various art forms.

These opportunities include youth ministry, mentoring at a worship arts summer camp, and performing in a Christmas play.

While using these gifts and talents, I've also been given the opportunity to be ministered to through both YWAM Denver and through living in a young adults community called The Rez.

Living and working with other young adults is challenging, as we all come with very different backgrounds, life experiences, and habits of living. But choosing to engage in this community has allowed me to learn more about life in general.

After all, aren't we all essentially seeking the same things in life?

But more importantly, choosing to step outside of my comfort zone has caused more growth than I could have ever imagined. While there is still plenty more to learn and discover about life, God, the world, and myself, I feel confident in saying that I've never felt more "grown up" than I do right now.

Sure, there are plenty of hardships and challenges still to face, but there is also an amazing, all-powerful God on my side who never lets me down.

And so, without further ado, here are a handful of "Life Lessons" and/ or skills I've learned this part year:

1. Time Management - As I understand it, being an adult basically means assuming more and more responsibilities without much training, insufficient qualifications, and the same amount of hours in the day. Not meaning to sound  like a Debbie Downer, I'm just saying that young adulthood is rough sometimes.

That being said, I've been working at a pharmacy since this past August, where every single minute of the workday counts. Being present and intentional has been imperative to my success on the job and has been a great skill to apply to my personal life. Learning to balance a full work week, a regular exercise schedule, an active social life, and being involved at church has been stressful at times, but having a job dependent on personal efficiency has propelled me forward.

2. Participation - Having been labeled a "Wallflower" for most of my life, I am often found hanging out on the sidelines of various activities. But living in a community like The Rez has essentially felt like living in a youth group for young adults, complete with many organized activities and games.

(This, by the way, has been a good thing for me, as I often took life far too seriously in high school and college.)

Having friends close by encouraging me to worry less and play games more has taught me to do just these things. While there are many necessary tasks day-in-and-day-out, forgetting to take breaks and have some fun makes for a very busy, very boring life.

3. God is in the Small Details too - I know this concept is sometimes overdone, but in all reality, we should pay attention to details because God cares about details. Even now I am fighting to read through the laws outlined in Exodus for the Israelites. 

Let's get real - this book is dense and not too exciting once the plagues end. It's like the beginning of an epic that suddenly gets as tedious as a JRR Tolkein novel. (Brilliant writer, but seriously.)

But the fact remains that these details are written for a purpose, no matter how tedious, which makes them important. I've seen this over and over on the job, where every seemingly insignificant task contributes to the operation as a whole, making me understand my God all the more.

And so it becomes obvious to me that while I am not 100% certain why my life currently looks the way it does, and while I may have 0 idea where I am headed, it is obvious the Lord's hand is at work. And if walking behind a pillar of cloud/fire was good enough for the Israelites, listening for His Voice should be good enough for me.